Malatesta P, Hartfuss E, Götz M
Max-Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18A, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Development. 2000 Dec;127(24):5253-63. doi: 10.1242/dev.127.24.5253.
The developing central nervous system of vertebrates contains an abundant cell type designated radial glial cells. These cells are known as guiding cables for migrating neurons, while their role as precursor cells is less clear. Since radial glial cells express a variety of astroglial characteristics and differentiate as astrocytes after completing their guidance function, they have been considered as part of the glial lineage. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, we show here that radial glial cells also are neuronal precursors and only later, after neurogenesis, do they shift towards an exclusive generation of astrocytes. These results thus demonstrate a novel function for radial glial cells, namely their ability to generate two major cell types found in the nervous system, neurons and astrocytes.
脊椎动物发育中的中枢神经系统含有一种丰富的细胞类型，称为放射状胶质细胞。这些细胞被认为是迁移神经元的引导索，而它们作为前体细胞的作用尚不清楚。由于放射状胶质细胞表达多种星形胶质细胞特征，并在完成其引导功能后分化为星形胶质细胞，因此它们被视为胶质细胞谱系的一部分。我们通过荧光激活细胞分选技术表明，放射状胶质细胞也是神经元前体细胞，只是在神经发生之后，它们才转向专门生成星形胶质细胞。因此，这些结果证明了放射状胶质细胞的一种新功能，即它们能够生成神经系统中发现的两种主要细胞类型，神经元和星形胶质细胞。
